10 Things Community College Students Are Tired of Hearing

The struggle is real AF.

By
Hanna Kang

Jun 26, 2017

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Being a community college student is awesome. I get to be around people with similar goals and professors who are here to help us succeed. That's why I, along with thousands of other CC students get ticked off when those who've never attended a community college underrate it without any concrete reason. Here are 10 things we are tired of hearing:

1. "Oh, I see." Awkward pause.

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I speak for pretty much the entire community college community when I say this seemingly harmless afterthought of a statement is actually not so innocent. We all know what's going on in your head during that awkward pause, and frankly, we're not okay with you judging us the way you do. Not all of us are here because we slacked off in high school. You'll be surprised to know all the different reasons why people are here.

2. "Community college is a joke."

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Um, no. Each year, community colleges send its students to prestigious universities all over the country. Many of these students graduate within four years and lead very successful lives. Some examples of famous, successful community college graduates are Walt Disney and Tom Hanks.

3. "Isn't the level of your classes totally insulting?"

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No, not at all. I honestly don't understand where "outsiders" get the idea that community college classes are a total breeze, when they haven't even set foot here. If you have the time to worry about how I feel about my classes, please focus on yours a bit more, will ya?

4. "Be careful, or else you're going to get jumped."

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Oh, please stop. Just because community colleges are open to people from all walks of life including parolees, doesn't mean they're dangerous. In fact, community colleges take active measures to keep their students safe, as they are well aware of the potential problems open admissions may bring to campus grounds. For example, my school posts safety tips and danger alerts on student portals to keep students updated.

5. "Don't your parents disapprove?"

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No, they don't. Like I said, there are so many different reasons why people choose to attend a community college. It's also none of your business.

6. "Community college has no student life whatsoever."

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You really can't say anything about community college student life unless you attend one. And you're wrong, there are plenty of ways to get involved on campus; like any other university, we have Honors societies, various clubs and student-run organizations.

7. "The professors there suck."

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Actually, they might be much better than the professors at big four-year universities, where TAs with bachelor's degrees regularly teach classes. A number of my past professors are doctorate holders, and because they aren't preoccupied with doing their own research, they give their full attention to us, the students. Community college professors aren't here for the prestige.

8. "Do you even learn anything?"

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Yes, of course we do. A community college isn't that loser school you attend when you can't keep up at a four-year university. We have to work harder to get to a four-year, whatever our respective reasons may be. Plus, at a community college, you learn a little bit more about hard work, perseverance and life in general.

9. "A 4.0 GPA is basically a given, right?"

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This is the most common myth about community colleges, but it's completely untrue. Community colleges offer fully accredited, challenging courses for which you must work very hard to earn As. If you're thinking one can survive community college with the attitude with which one goes into high school, you're wrong.

10. "You're going to regret it."

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Don't ever say this to any of us. As I've said so many times before, you have no idea why each us are here. Some of us had no choice but to attend a community college, and don't even have the chance to have regrets. A lot of us grow so much internally here, and that will only serve as a plus when we go onto a four-year school and the workforce.

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